“Oh, nothing,” Sir Oreth said, still smirking. Then he crossed his arms over his chest and mimed a shiver. “Brrr.”

The other men laughed.

Brother Qown’s sense of dread threatened to turn into a full-blown panic. “Are you implying something has happened to Count Tolamer?”

Sir Oreth said, “She’s not a count anymore. She’s not even Joratese.” He smiled. “She’s not anything.”

“Give us the room,” Darzin commanded. “We came here looking for privacy.”

Brother Qown bent down to pick up his supplies.

Darzin slapped his hand down on the brushes. “Just go.”

Brother Qown straightened and then held out his hand. “Of course, my lord. But I’ll need that. Relos Var is waiting on it.”

Darzin glanced down at the book and then cast his gaze at the fire.

“No, please.”

Darzin grinned as he threw the book into the fireplace.

Brother Qown darted after it, but the D’Mon royal grabbed him by the shoulders and held him back. “Relos Var is waiting on it, hmm? You’ll have to tell him you tripped and it landed in the fire, won’t you? How clumsy.”

Brother Qown stopped struggling. The royal wanted to see him struggle. Qown stopped resisting, straightened up, and bowed to Darzin D’Mon. “Thank you, my lord.”

Darzin blinked, taken aback. “What? Uh … didn’t you need that?”

“Oh yes, my lord. Very much. And when I tell Relos Var what happened, he’ll know I’m telling the truth. But you have given me a valuable lesson in the importance of detachment from material things, even books. There is nothing in those pages that cannot be re-created. So thank you for reminding me.” He bowed again.

Darzin looked bemused. Finally, the man rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Get out of here.”

Brother Qown went searching for Thurvishar.

“I think they’ve done something with Janel,” Brother Qown said as soon as Thurvishar answered the door to his suite. He then rushed inside without giving the larger man a chance to answer.

“Hold on. What are you talking about?”

Brother Qown tried to recover his calm. For all he knew, Janel was already dead. But if Relos Var was right …

If Relos Var was right, Janel needed to be alive. They all needed her to be alive.

He shook his head. “I was writing my notes in the south library when one of the D’Mon royals interrupted me. Darzin and his companions. Including Sir Oreth, I’m sad to say…”

“The Wolf Cubs.”

Brother Qown paused. “What?”

“We call Exidhar’s friends the Wolf Cubs. The fact Darzin has landed among them doesn’t surprise me in the least. He’s never grown up either.” Thurvishar raised an eyebrow. “What did they do?”

“Exidhar and Sir Oreth both made nasty comments hinting Janel is in jeopardy somewhere very cold.”

“I understand she’s been left with the wives.” Thurvishar laughed. “I suppose that’s cold enough.”